Velocipede.



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Y A (Ap'plcnton led Aug. 12, 1901.; (IIAo Model.)

- INVENTOR.-

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UNITED STATES' PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM II. SNOW, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

vELoo'lPEDE.

- EECIZEICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 689,599, dated December 24, 1901.

Application led August 12, 1901. Serial No. 71,744. (No model.)

To all whom it mayoral/warn:

Be it known that LIWILLTAM H. SNOW, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of the city and county of San Francisco, in the State of California,have invented new and useful Improvements in Velocipedes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in that class of vehicles which are propelled by the feet of the rider; andthe same consists in certain novel parts and combination' of parts,asherenafter particularly described, and pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

The principal parts or features of my improved vehicle comprise a platform or body mounted on four Wheels, the front wheels being connected to the platform by a kingbolt and furnished with aV steering-handle, a

saddle or seat for the rider, a pair of sandals or footpieces provided 4with rollers on their bottoln faces, similar in construction to a roller-skate, tracks or ways on the sides of rectangularV openings in the platform and extending longitudinally of the platform and parallel with each other, in which 'the footpieces or roller-skates are confined and at the same time are arranged to slide forward and backward under the movement of the feet of the rider, and retractable springs attached at one end to theplatform and at the other end to the heel of the roller-skate -in each opening.

The several featuresand the manner in which Iproceed to construct, apply`,and carry'l out the same iu the production' of my improved vehicle will be clearly understood from the following detailed description, in which the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof, are referred to by letters.

.Figure l of the drawings is a perspective view of a vehicle embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a top plan with the seat omitted. Fig. 3 is a side elevation with the seat and the steering-handle broken away. Fig. 4 is a rear elevation, on an enlarged scale, one-half of the figure on the right side of the vertical center line being shown in transverse section.

The platform A is a frame or skeleton body having two rectangular openings B, divided .heel and provided with rollers p2. Vcross-bars R R, secured to each footpiece at by a narrow center board C, and extending longitudinally of the platform and parallel with each other.

Two wheels d behind and two e in front are attached to the platform by axles, the rear axlef being rigidly secured in place, but the front one g attached to the platform by a king-bolt h. Means for cramping the front axle consist of a steering-post I, provided with handles K. A saddle or seat L for the rider is supported on the platform at a convenient height by upright supports M behind the 4,steering apparatus.

- P P are roller-'skates comprising sandals or footpieces 19X and having means for temporarily confining the feet at the toe and the Grooved the toe and the heel,are fitted to slide smoothly on Yrails or guide-strips S S, fixed along the sides of the opening B, in which the footpiece is set. These guides S are arranged at proper "height from'the ground to bring the rollers p2 on the footpiece in contact with the ground. A coiled spring T, attached at the front end to the back of the footpiece, is secured to a fixed point on the platform directly behind the footpiece.

As thus constructed the vehicle is propelled by the rider placing the feet in the sandals or footpieces and moving the legs in au alternate manner forward, so as to cause the footpiece to travel forward in the opening against the retractable force of the springs. The reaction of lthe last-named parts, in conjunction withthe movement of the roller footpieces,

causes the vehicle to travel forward.

IOO

openings extending in the general direction of the travel of the vehicle, footpieces fitted in said-openings and adapted to move therein in a forward direction under the motion of the feet of the rider, and springs operating to produce movement of the footpieces in the reverse direction to that imparted by the feet.

In a velocipede the combination, with a skeleton platform mounted on Wheels, and having rectangular openings extending 1ongitudinally of the platform, of reciprocating footpieces fitted to Work in said openings and having rollers adapted to travel in contact with the ground beneath the platform, and a coiled spring attached at one end to the footthe front wheels.

WILLAM H. SNOW. Witnesses:

EDWARD E.v OsBoRN, ARTHUR S. SLEE. 

